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WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 

Seventy-Five Years Ago 

From Parker's River Westward 

By DANIEL WING. 



"I do not envy any man, that 
absence of sentiment which makes 
some people careless of the 
memorials of their ancestors, and 
whose blood can be warmed up 
only by talking of horses or the 
price of hops." 

Blades, in Enemies of Books. 

It has been asserted by some 
historian that the Growels or 
Growells of the Middle states were 
originally Cromwells and that 
they dropped the letter M about 
the time they dropped their an- 
chor in a harbor of the American 
continent. It requires but little 
knowledge of history to convince 
one that in many instances, during 
the political struggles between 
England and France, hundreds of 
years ago, it was advisable for 
the safety of one's person to 
change the family name. For a 
long period the relations between 
England and Normandy were in- 
timate and more or less complex. 

The Norman French name Le 
Crochere (pronounced Gro share) 
was easily abbreviated by dropp- 
ing the first syllable and the final 
e. This left Grocher, which, in 



English, would be pronounced 
Grocker: hence the changes in 
spelling and pronunciation. An- 
other change was effected by 
eliminating the final syllable of 
Grochere altogether: hence the 
names Gro, Grow and Growe, 
which by the process of evolution 
have become Growell. 

It was natural that the descend- 
ants of John Growe, who lived 
near Follens pond, should establish 
their residences along the north- 
ern shore of the Gape; and that 
those of Yelverton should settle 
on the southern coast near the 
home of their paternal ancestor, 
where there was an abundance of 
land suitable for tilling and a 
natural gro\^i:h of salt grasses for 
their cattle. 

The woods furnished an abun- 
dance of timber for the construc- 
tion of dwellings and barns, and 
the waters, both fresh and salt, 
yielded considerable food for 
their tables. 

In later years the coasting trade 
furnished employment for many, 
and a goodly number of those 
who afterwards became masters of 



/ 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



merchant ships, took their first 
lessons as cooks and "hands" on 
board the small craft which were 
largely owned and sailed by their 
fathers or near relatives. 

The boys of those days, instead 
of wasting their time in pursuit 
of pleasure, worked on the home 
lands, hoeing corn and potatoes, 
cutting wood for fuel, milking the 
cows morning and night, gomg to 
the district school for a few weeks 
in the winter and so keeping up 
the round of duties throughout 
the year. Those indeed were 
strenuous times, the like of which 
the rising generation knows but 
little from personal experience. 
But there was a compensaion in 
the fact that in that way were 
produced men of sturdy character, 
energetic, self-reliant, persistent. 
Some of them have gained an en- 
viable reputation as ship masters, 
while others have attained success 
in other departments of human 
endeavor. 

The exact spot on which Yel- 
verton's dwelling stood is not 
known; but is supposed to have 
been in the vicinity of the resi- 
dences formerly owned and occu- 
pied by the late Captains Elkanah 
Croweli and Zadok Crowell. The 
building may have been con- 
structed of logs from the adjacent 
woods. Here Yelverton lived for- 
ty-four years. His wife Eliza- 
beth survived him twenty years 
and died in November, 1703. The 
will of the former is dated Dec. 
23, 1681, and is signed "Yelverton 
CrowiMl alias Grow," which seems 
to indicate the period in which 
the final change in surname was 
made. 

The site of the residence of 



John, son of Yelverton Crowe, is 
known. A great-great-grandson of 
the latter showed it to a descend- 
ant in the seventh generation and 
he in turn pointed out the spot 
to one now living. The old Yel- 
verton farm has been- occupied 
and worked by his descendants in 
all the successive generations down 
to the present time. Captain El- 
kanah CrowelF, (EIkanah% El- 
kanah% Simeon*, Ephraim% Thom- 
as'', Yelverton^) now living in Hy- 
annis at the age of 85 years, has 
kindly furnished ihe writer of 
this article with a list of house- 
holders along the line of what is 
now known as South Sea avenue 
in the order in which they were 
located 75 years ago. 

The writer has looked up the 
male ancestral line of some of 
these worthies and offers the 
same in the hope that it will be 
acceptable to some at least who 
have not the time or the inclina- 
tion to unravel the intricasies of 
genealogical history. 

Commencing at Great Island, the 
first residence to be named was 
that of Captain Nehemiah CrowelP 
(Abnor*, Thomas% Thomas', Yel- 
verton^), who died about the year 
1849, leaving the house to be oc- 
cupied by his son Robert. 

The next was the residence of 
John Hallet, who married Rachel 
Crowell of the sixth generation 
from Yelverton. This house was 
moved from its original site many 
years ago and now stands upon 
land on the county road owned by 
the heirs of the late F. A. Abel. 
In still earlier times there had 
been a dwelling on the "Island" 
occupied by the family of Free- 
man Hallet, and later by his 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



widow; but which was removed 
longer ago than Captain Growell 
can remember, and became the 
residence of the late B. K. Chase, 
who married a daughter of the 
former owner. 

Near the Island fence, on the 
mainland, were a lot of saltworks 
and an establishment where lamp- 
black was made. Salt was made 
in this vicinity as early as 1839, 
by Gorham Crowell and Ezekiel 
Crowell. The lampblack was 
manufactured by a man named 
John Bangs, who lived in the 
house later occupied by Timothy 
Lewis on the easterly side of the 
highway, now serving as a sum- 
mer residence. 

Then, on the west side, was the 
home of the late Alexander 
Crowell, a son of Nehemiah, al- 
ready mentioned, now also a sum- 
mer residence. Back in the fields 
was the ruins of an old cellar on 
the estate of Ezekiel Crowell, 
where a house had been located; 
by whom it was built and occupied 
is beyond the knowledge of any 
one now living. A little farther 
north was an old, low, double 
house, owned by Captain Ezekiel 
CrowelP (Jeremiah*, Joseph% 

John^ Yelverton'). This place 
was occupied by Joshua Hallet 
and Arven Baker some seventy or 
more years ago; also by a family 
of Winslows from Brewster who 
tended saltworks near by. The 
building was subsequently torn 
down and Captain Ezekiel Crowell, 
son of Jeremiah, built a residence 
near the site of the old house. 
One of the daughters of the for- 
mer married the late Frederic P. 
Baker; one. Captain Edward I^ew- 



is, and the third, still living at 
the advanced age of eighty-nine 
and one-half years, is the widow 
of the late Heman Chase of West 
Yarmouth. This building was 
moved about 30 years ago to 
South Yarmouth. 

Next in order stood the low, 
double house of Timothy Growell% 
son of Jeremiah*, previously 
named in this article. This house 
in later years was the home of 
Zenas Wood, who married Sarah 
Ann, daughter of Timothy, July 1, 
1838. Mr Wood's family moved 
West many years ago, and finally 
the house was taken down. 

The late Captain Zadok Crowell" 
built a house close by the site of 
that of his father Timothy% and 
occupied the same with his fam- 
ily for many years. This house, 
now known as Greltholme, has 
been for several years past the 
residence of Joshua F. Growell* 
(Isaiah% Elkanah«, Elkanah% Sim- 
eon*, Ephraim^ Thomas^ Yelver- 
ton^). The present owner is also 
a descendant of Yelverton in the 
eighth generation in the line com- 
ing down from Thomas, the fourth 
son of Yelverton, born about the 
year 1647. 

On the east side of the way 
nearly opposite the last named, 
stood the house of Captain Eben- 
ezer Crowell'' (Solomon*, Joseph% 
John^ Yelverton^) who was lost at 
sea in February, 1828, when about 
42 years old. His widow survived 
him many years. None of their 
children are now living, but there 
are grandchildren. The old dwell- 
ing was bought by Reuben Blach- 
ford and went into the construc- 
tion of a new house on Main 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



street, opposite the late Isaac 
Crowell's, now occupied by Addie 
F. Crowell. 

On the west side of the Lane, as 
it was formerly called, once stood 
the residence of Captain Elkanah 
CrowelP, son of Simeon. This 
building was taken down about 
the year 1833 and a new structure 
was erected by Captain Elkanah 
of the sixth generation near the 
site of his father's house. Of the 
children who grew up in this 
home. Captain Elkanah Crowell of 
the seventh generation, heretofore 
named in this article, and a sister 
living in the West are the sole 
survivors. The last-named dwell- 
ing is located near the spot once 
occupied by the residence of John, 
son of Yelverton, and presumably 
quite near also to that of Yelver- 
ton himself. 

Almost directly opposite the res- 
idence of Captain Elkanah Crowell 
of the sixth generation from Yel- 
verton, the pioneer of 1639, there 
had stood for a number of years 
the district schoolhouse, to which 
we presume the description of one 
elsewhere by Whittier would ap- 
ply: 

"Within, the master's desk is seen, 

Deep scarred by raps official; 
The warping floor, the battered 
seats. 

The jack-knife's carved initial; 
The charcoal frescoes on its wall; 

The door's worn sill betraying 
The feet that, creeping slow to 
school, 

Went storming out to playing." 

About the year 1839 or 40 this 
building of an early period in the 
educational history of this section 
wns moved fni'thcr Tiorth ;ind be- 



came a part of the residence of 
Captain Zenas Crowell. A new 
schoolhouse was built on the same 
site about the year 1839; but that 
too was sold when the larger 
building now in use superseded 
it on Main street, and it was used 
as a storehouse for a time on the 
opposite side of the street by El- 
kanah Crowell, the 6th. 

Again it was sold and removed 
to Main street near the old cem- 
etery and converted into a dwell- 
ing house by George Taylor, a 
citizen of the village. 

On the west side of South Sea 
avenue, next north of Captain El- 
kanah Crowell's, stood the resi- 
dence of the late Captain Henry 
Crowell* (Nehemiah% Abner*, 
Thomas', Thomas^ Yelverton^) . 
This dwelling has been removed 
south, to a site nearly opposite 
that formerly occupied by the 
home of the late Alexander 
Crowell previously mentioned. 

Next in order came the residence 
of the late Davis Crowell, on the 
east side of the street, now owned 
and used as a summer residence 
by Edward Brown. 

Again, on the west side of the 
highway, stood the chimney stack 
of an old dwelling, the original 
builder of which cannot now be 
certainly known. 

Mrs. Martha Chase (daughter of 
Captain Ezekiel Crowell of the 
fifth generation from Yelverton), 
now living at the advanced age of 
ninety years, remembers distinct- 
ly that her grandfather, Jeremiah, 
wlio died in 1827, once lived there. 

It is quite possible that the 
building itself was erected by Jo- 
seph, the father of Jeremiah, and 
a grandson of Yelvertoii, the pio- 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



neer. This house was locally 
known as the Molly Gamie house. 
Jeremiah married Mary Hallet in 
1778, and Mary was frequently 
called Molly in the early days. 

Then came the home of the late 
Captain Henry Taylor with its 
large family of boys and girls, 
most of whom have passed away. 

Next came Captain Zenas 
Crowell's, where were four daugh- 
ters and five sons, only one of 
whom, the youngest daughter, is 
now living. 

Thus ends the panorama of 
South Sea avenue as it was seven- 
ty-five years ago. What changes 
have taken place since then! Quite 
a number of the dwellings still 
remain upon the sites they occu- 
pied in the long ago; but the oc- 
cupants are not the same. Chil- 
dren have been born, have at- 
tained their three score years and 
ten, and have passed away, leav- 
ing their places to be filled by 
others, who, in their turn will 
occupy for a more or less brief 
period. 

"Like to the falling of a star, 

Or as the flights of eagles are; 

Or like the fresh spring's gaudy 
hue. 

Or silver drops of morning dew; 

Or like a wind that chafes the 
flood, 

Or bubbles which on water stood: 

E'en such is man, whose borrowed 
light 

Is straight called in and paid to- 
night. 

The wind blows out, the bubble 
dies; 

The spring entombed in autumn 
lies; 



The dew dries up, the star is 

shot; 
The flight is past, and man forgot." 

— H. King. 

The last line often becomes true 
sooner than it should. 

The body of land known as 
Great Island has been doubtless, 
in the long ago, an island in fact, 
as well as in name; but the 
mighty forces of wind and wave 
which have extended seaward the 
bar off Bass river and formed 
Dogfish bar farther west, have 
formed a sandy beach which trans- 
forms the one time island into a 
peninsula. It is true that the 
highway leading to it is bridged 
over an arm of Lewis bay; but 
this is because the line of the 
highway, as established, is more 
direct than the route nearer the 
sea shore. 

It is reasonable to presume that 
this peninsula was a part of the 
tract taken up by Yelverton 
Crowe, the pioneer, in 1639. 

The fact that it would make the 
area of his territory possibly as 
great as three square miles is 
no argument against its probabil- 
ity. In Middleboro, as well as on 
the Cape, in the early days, large 
tracts of land were purchased 
from the Indians and were known 
as the Twelve Men's Purchase, 
Five Men's Purchase, Sixteen Shil- 
lings Purchase, etc., and the last 
named seems to indicate the con- 
sideration paid. 

The southeastern point of the 
peninsula was formerly known as 
Fox point; the southernmost ex- 
tremity still bears the name Point 
Gammon. Why this name, which 
intimates imposture, delusion. 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



trickery, was applied to this head- 
land is somewhat difficult to as- 
certain with any degree of cer- 
tainty; but some investigation by 
correspondence and a study of 
maps new and old, has convinced 
the writer that it originated with 
mariners and not with landsmen. 
The writer, in a former article, 
was led into error by a statement 
made to him in good faith, that 
a tradition had been handed down 
to the effect that a few genera- 
tions ago, cattle were driven 
across a narrow channel to Bish- 
op and Clerk's and pastured there. 
He invited criticism and sugges- 
tions from others, and has re- 
ceived letters from several parties 
which have convinced him that 
the following statements can be 
relied upon. 

A great many years ago the 
Bishop and Clerk's ledge was an 
island about five miles in circum- 
ference, and sheep used to be 
scowed across the channel and 
pastured there. The channel at 
that time must have been consid- 
erably narrower than now; but 
never, since the advent of white 
men in New England, has it been 
shallow enough to admit of its 
being forded. 

The native Indians accounted 
for the islands Nantucket and 
Marthas Vineyard by a mythical 
story which ran somewhat in this 
wise: 

A great many moons ago there 
lived upon the Cape a giant named 
Maushop. One day he waded out 
into tlie South sea to a great dis- 
tance, for his legs were exceeding- 
ly long and his bodily vigoi won- 
derful. After a time his moccasins 
became full of sand, which made 



walking painful. Thereupon he 
emptied one, and the island of 
Nantucket appeared above the 
surface of the water, while the 
sand which he poured from the 
other formed the island known as 
Marthas Vineyard. He lighted his 
pipe and volumes of smoke arose, 
obscuring the vision for miles 
around. Ever afterward, when 
fog appeared over the water, the 
Indians would exclaim in their 
native tongue, "Here comes old 
Maushop's smoke." 

The government lighthouse was 
established on Point Gammon in 
1816 and was kept by Samuel Peak 
until 1826. He was succeeded by 
his son, John Peak, who officiated 
until the light was discontinued 
in 1859, when the Bishop and 
Clerk's lighthouse, which had 
been in process of construction for 
several years, was put to service. 

Hyannis Harbor light was estab- 
lished in 1849; the Range light on 
Railroad wharf in 1885; the line of 
the two serving as a guide in 
entering Hyannis harbor. 

Captain Elkanah Crowell, who 
hoed corn and dug potatoes near 
Fox point and Point Gammon, 
when a boy, estimates the area of 
cleared land on the southern and 
western portions of "The Island" 
at that time to have been twenty 
acres or more, and that probably 
there were thirty to forty acres 
of woodland. This territory was 
owned by some dozen or more 
jM'oprictors, and when the wood 
was big enough to convert into 
firewood the area was laid off into 
lots and the proprietors bid for 
choice. Captain Crowell himself 
drew a plat of the woodland for 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



that purpose about forty years 
ago. 

The body of water north of 
Great Island, known as Lewis bay, 
doubtless received its name from 
some family residing in that 
neighborhood. 

The late Amos Otis, Esq., is 
authority for the statement that 
the "South Sea men" of Barn- 
stable in 1696 included Thomas, 
Edward and John Lewis, and that 
the last named fell in battle in the 
war with the Indian chief, King 
Philip. The name Lewis does not 
appear on the Yarmouth tax list 
for 1676. Additional facts along 
this line would be welcome, to 
show the origin of the name and 
period in which it was applied to 
this beautiful body of water. It 
may be that, forming, as it does, 
a portion of the eastern boundary 
of Hyannis, it received its name 
from the Lewis families of Barn- 
stable. 

About a hundred years ago, 
"there were in this bay four coast- 
ers of about forty-five tons each, 
and ten fishing vessels of from 
forty to fifty tons each." The 
lampblack and salt making indus- 
tries added to the volume of busi- 
ness in this section. Today these 
are all gone and their places taken 
by summer cottages and pleasure 
craft. 

Farming, too, except on a very 
small scale, has become a thing 
of the past; although the raising 
of vegetables is carried on to some 
extent. A lady is still living who 
remembers riding home from a 
party in an oxcart; but oxcarts 
have been succeeded by carryalls 
and truck wagons, and they, in 
tui'n, are being supplanted by 



automobiles and power trucks. 

However, the old days were 
good old days of peace and com- 
parative contentment; and we of 
the living should not lose sight of 
them in our scramble for that 
which is just ahead of us. 

To the section of which we 
write, in 1639, nineteen yaars af- 
ter the landing of the Pilgrims at 
Plymouth, and one year after the 
incorporation of the town of Yar- 
mouth, came Yelverton Crowe, 
the pioneer, who was not only a 
man respected by his fellow cit- 
izens, but one who accepted and 
performed well liis duties as a 
citizen. He not only served his 
town in several official capacities, 
but served, too, as a soldier in 
King Philip's war. 

It would be exceedingly appro- 
priate to erect some memorial to 
his memory in the cemetery where 
so many of the early settlers 
quite probably including himself 
are buried, and to mark the his- 
toric sites of the neighborhood, 
before they are altogether lost to 
liuman knowledge. 

With suitable in'scriptions, no 
other material would seem to be 
as appropriate for this purpose 
as the massive boulders oft the 
town which he and his descend- 
ants have done so much to estab- 
lish and perpetuate. 

The writer has several times 
mentioned this name and has dil- 
igently sought a reason for its 
bestowal upon the southern head- 
land of Great Island, He, him- 
self, has at sundry times, when 
sailing in Nantucket sound, seen 
a mirage in that vicinity which so 
distorted the shore outline as ap- 
parently to make it possible to 



8 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



sail through several channels, 
where, in fact, there was no water 
at all. 

When the Bishops was an island 
of considerable extent, as it was a 
few generations ago, and Great 
Island extended farther south, a 
mirage or a more or less dense 
mist or fog may have made that 
.portion of the coast even more 
deceptive than now. Hence the 
name, as applied by mariners who 
were gammoned by it — Point 
Gammon. 

As particularly interesting in 
this connection I quote a passage 
from Thoreau's "The Maine 
Woods," page 227, descriptive of 
a canoe trip on Moosehead lake 
in Maine with one white com- 
panion and an Indian guide. 
"Looking northward from this 
place," writes Thoreau, "it ap- 
peared as if we were entering a 
large bay, and we did not know 
whether we should be obliged to 
diverge from our course and keep 
outside a point which we saw, or 
should find a passage between 
this and the main land. I con- 
sulted my map and used my glass, 
and the Indian did the same; but 
we could not find our place ex- 
actly on the map, nor could we 
detect any break in the shore. 
When I asked the Indian the way, 
he answered, 'I don't know,' for 
he had never been up this side. 
It was misty, dogday weather. . . 
It seemed that, if we held on, we 
should be fairly emi)ayed. Pres- 
ently, however, the mist lilted 
somewhat, and revealed a break 
in the shore northward, showing 
that the point was a portion of 
Deer Island, and that our course 
lay westward of it. Where it had 



seemed a continuous shore even 
through a glass, one portion was 
now seen by the naked eye to be 
much more distant than the 
other which overlapped it, mere- 
ly by the greater thickness of the 
mist which still rested on it." 
Another Point Gammon. 

Captain Loring Fuller of South 
Yarmouth, who has sailed along 
the coast of Great Island more 
than a thousand times, offers no 
solution of the problem as to the 
origin of the name Point Gam- 
mon; but gives a version of the 
old Maushop myth that is new to 
the writer of this article. It runs 
thus: 

"A very long time ago there 
lived a great Indian giant named 
Maushop, who could wade up and 
down Vineyard sound without 
finding the water more than knee 
deep. His home was in a cave 
called the Devil's Den on Gay 
Head. He used to sit on a boulder 
in the sound to smoke, and the 
ashes from his pipe, taken away 
by the currents, formed the is- 
land of Nantucket. He undertook 
to build a bridge from Gay Head 
to Cuttyhunk by filling one of his 
shoes with sand and wading out 
to empty it on the intended line; 
but a crab bit him on his uncov- 
ered foot and made him so angry 
that he broke off a portion of the 
cliff and threw it southward, thus 
forming the island called No Man's 
Land. He flung his five children 
into the sea and they were trans- 
formed into fishes. His wife 
remonstrated with him and he 
tossed her across the channel to 
Seaconnet." There! if that does 
not equal, in vivid imagination, the 
myths of the Israelites, the Assyri- 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



ans and Babylonians of four 
thousand years ago, then the 
writer is no judge. 

This subject (Point Gammon 
and vicinity) will be continued in 
No. 9 of this series. 

Meantime, will those persons 
who have either fact or tradition 
bearing upon the topic referred 
to, kindly forward same to the 
writer, who will serve as a sort 
of "clearing house" to receive, as- 
sort and publish later on. Names 
will not be printed if anyone ob- 
jects. 

The result of correspondence 
now at hand will be given from 
time to time. 

The writer has no pet theories 
which he is trying to maintain; 
but is anxious to ascertain facts, 
before it is too late, and tradition 
is often helpful. 

Traditions grow and change as 
the years pass. As one reaches 
the three score j'ears and ten of 
human life he is sometimes tem- 
porarily in doubt whether certain 
events that occurred in his early 
lifetime were actually witnessed 
by himself, or were so vividly 
portrayed to him by another as 
to leave upon his mind and mem- 
ory an impression as strong and 
enduring as that produced by per- 
sonal experience. 

A correspondent regrets that the 
writer doubts the fording of the 
channel between Point Gammon 
and Bishop's since the advent of 
the white man in New England; 
and states that a worthy citizen of 
say three generations ago said in 
his hearing that he, himself, "as 
a boy, waded across." Now, there 
is no intention on the part of 
anyone to insinuate wilful mis- 



representation by any person. The 
writer for many years believed as 
did his correspondent; but ac- 
cumulating evidence shook his 
faith in the fording; although he 
still believes that sheep and pos- 
sibly larger animals were taken 
across the channel to pasture on 
the Bishop's island by means of 
scows. 

In reply to a query on this 
subject he received the following 
from the U. S. Coast and Geodetic 
survey, bearing date Sept. 9. 

"There is nothing on file in this 
department or bureau" (Depart- 
of Commerce) "to indicate that the 
locality about Bishop and Clerk's 
lighthouse was ever an island of 
any greater extent than at present 
shown upon the charts. The 
earliest survey by the coast sur- 
vey was in 1847, and at that time 
the water north of the lighthouse 
was too deep to be forded. The 
earliest chart of the locality is 
that of 'Nantucket shoals' by 
Captain Paul Pinkham, 1791. It 
shows several rock symbols where 
Bishop and Clerk's lighthouse is 
located and three and one-half 
fathoms of water between there 
and Point Gammon. We have no 
information regarding the origin 
of the name Point Gammon." 

A U. S. chart of "Hyannis har- 
bor" whose hydrography is based 
on surveys made between 1888 and 
1902 with certain corrections to 
Sept. 14, 1914, shows the distance 
from Point Gammon to the light- 
house on Bishop's to be about 2% 
statute miles. There is a channel 
a little more than three-fourths 
of a mile wide, in which the 
water is more than 18 feet deep 
at its "mean low water;" the 



10 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



depth in that vicinity being from 
19 to 26 feet. 

Summing up, we have as fol- 
lows: 

Depth of channel in 1791, SVz 
fathoms (21 feet). 

Lighthouse established on Point 
Gammon in 1816. 

U. S. survey in 1847 shows chan- 
nel "too deep to be forded." 

Latest chart shows channel 19 
to 26 feet deep at low water. 

Tradition says that a man born 
in 1801 waded across this channel 
when a boy. 

There is no doubt that the 
wearing away of this portion of 
the coast during the , last three 
centuries has been very great. It 
has been estimated that the wear- 
ing away of the east coast of Nan- 
tucket in recent times has been 
as great as a foot per annum, 
and on parts of the south coast, 
three feet. 

Geologists suppose that at least 
three to four miles have been 
washed into the sea from the 
east coast of Cape Cod in ages 
past. The waste from the land 
has greatly extended the bar off 
Bass river. 

The question under discussion, 
however, is whether or not the 
channel referred to has, within a 
century or two, been shallow 
enough to be forded. 

No. 10 of this series will re- 
view the residences along the 
county road from Parker's river 
bridge westward, covering a peri- 
od of seventy years. 

On the northerly side of the 
county road westerly from the 
bridge and distant from it, say 
fifteen rods or thereabout, there 
stood about eighty years ago 



a low double house occupied by 
the widow of Simeon Lewis, who 
was the sister of Elkanah Crowell 
1st, born in 1757. Of their chil- 
dren, Mehitable married Isaiah 
Parker and Simeon married 
Thankful, sister of John Hallett. 

Some twenty rods farther west 
on the same side of the road and 
about the same time, was the res- 
idence of Captain Winthrop Sears; 
a building of similar design to the 
one first named. In fact, that was 
the style of architecture that pre- 
vailed a century or more ago. It 
was the custom to have the front 
toward the south, having no ref- 
erence to the location or direction 
of the nearest highway. In South 
Yarmouth representatives of this 
class are the Reuben Farris house 
and the Amos Baker house, the 
second dwelling south of the Hat- 
sel Crosby place. The Baker 
house originally had the front 
door toward the river instead of 
on the street side. The most of 
such homes had a large room each 
side of the front door; the kitchen 
in the rear, with pantry and bed- 
room at one end and cellarway 
and bedroom at the other, and 
an immense chimney stack and 
brick oven directly back of the 
"front entry." 

Captain Sears married first Bet- 
sey Crowell, and second Susannah 
Crowell. The children of the 
second marriage were Odlin, 
Susan, Abbie, Winthrop and Mary. 
Tlie house is now occupied by Mrs 
Ticne Taylor, widow of the late 
Roland Taylor. Still farther on 
was the low, double house of John 
Gorham, where he with his moth- 
er and sister lived some seventy- 
five or eighty years ago. This 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



H 



building was torn down many- 
years since; but the writer re- 
members its ancient appearance, 
its white plastered chimney of 
ample dimensions bearing evi- 
dence of its having been used as 
a target by passing gunners. Mr 
Gorham, who married late in life, 
was a very pious old gentleman, 
who used to lead the singing at 
prayer meetings, and who, the 
writer thinks, was a pensioner of 
the war of 1812, having served 
on the watch for the enemy along 
the coast from his station on 
Great Island. 

It was in that war that the 
English armed vessel Nymph de- 
manded a "ransom" of South Yar- 
mouth to the amount of one 
thousand dollars, which was paid 
in two instalments. 

Nearly opposite the site of the 
John Gorham house was a small 
house occupied by Warren Lewis, 
whose wife's name was Diantha. 
Their children were Phebe, Alfred, 
Edwin, Ruth and Thatcher, the 
last named living at present in 
Dennisport. This house was 
moved a number of years ago to 
South Yarmouth. 

Still farther west on the north 
side of the road formerly stood 
the meeting house of the west 
precinct, built in 1794, in which 
the Rev Timothy Alden preached 
every fourth Sabbath for many 
years. About the year 1832 this 
structure was replaced by a more 
modern one; and this newer build- 
ing was moved a few years ago to 
the south side of the highway 
near the schoolhouse. 

In the early days many wor- 
shippers came from "Gray's coun- 



try" and the Matthews settlement 
near the mouth of Bass river. 

A little farther on, upon the 
same side of the street, was the 
home of Captain Odlin P. Sears, 
who married Thankful, daughter 
of Captain Elnathan Lewis, Senr. 
Their children were Gyrus and 
Richard. The old house was torn 
down and a new house erected on 
the same site. This is now owned 
and occupied by the heirs of the 
late Captain William Peak, son of 
John Peak, a onetime keeper of 
the lighthouse on Great Island. 

Next on the south side of the 
road was the home of Thomas 
Crowell, who married Lydia, sis- 
ter of Jabez Lewis. Their chil- 
dren were Serena, Eliza, Warren 
and Lydia. This residence stood 
just east of the cross roads lead- 
ing to South Sea avenue on the 
one hand and North Lane on the 
other, the place being known as 
"The Four Corners." The dwelling 
was taken down some years ago 
and moved to Hyannis by George 
Miller. Thomas was of the 
seventh generation from "John 
Crowe of Bass Ponds." 

On the northerly side of the 
highway and across North lane 
from the Odlin P. Sears homestead, 
stood the residence of Jabez Lew- 
is, which was probably occupied 
by his father at a still earlier 
date. This also was a "low double 
house" corresponding to the style 
of architecture of the period 
when il was built. By his first 
wife, Thankful, the children were 
William, Thankful and Prentiss; 
by his second wife, Rebecca How- 
land, Edgar, Lothrop, Leonidas, 
Irene, Amelia, Elizabeth, Melora 
and George. The dwelling was 



12 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



burned some twenty-five years 
ago. 

The ancient cemetery is located 
just beyond the site of the Jabez 
Lewis home and is bounded on the 
west side by a road which leads 
to the former site of the town 
house. In the days when this 
cemetery was laid out, it was cus- 
tomary to have the burial ground 
in the immediate vicinity of the 
meeting house; but at that time 
the people of "South Sea" at- 
tended service on the north side 
of the town, hence the desirabil- 
ity of a burial place nearer the 
home village. 

It seems a pity that so few of 
the earlier burials are marked by 
headstones; but this lack is easily 
accounted for by the fact that 
most of the pioneers were people 
of limited means, and the needs 
of the living were rather to be 
looked after than the marking of 
the resting places of the dead. 

The old wooden fence which had 
heretofore enclosed the grounds 
was replaced in 1884 by a sub- 
stantial stone and iron fence at a 
cost of $1755.23, the funds being 
raised by subscription, under the 
devoted management of the late 
Captain Sturgis Growell, of the 
sixth generation from Thomas, son 
of Yelverton. 

The town of Yarmouth con- 
tributed $300.00 and the following 
named persons each gave $100.00 
or more: Captain Sturgis Crowell, 
Elisha Taylor, Esq., Elkanah 
Crowell, Jr., and Mrs Albert Chase. 
In addition to cash donations, 
many persons gave their labor and 
the use of their teams to forward 
this worthy object. 

Across the highway from the 



cemetery are the recently built 
residences of Lothrop and Fer- 
dinand Baker, and across a way 
which connects with South Sea 
avenue is that of Joshua Baker. 

A short distance west from the 
residence last named, stands a 
small concrete structure recently 
built for the use of Christian Sci- 
entists. Opposite this is the home 
of George Taylor. The building 
was formerly the district school- 
house located on South Sea 
avenue, which was referred to in 
No. 5 of this series. 

Next west, stands the low double 
house formerly occupied by John 
Seymour and later by the late 
Benjamin Blachford. This dwell- 
ing has had many occupants, is 
in a good state of preservation and 
is now owned by Rev Lester 
Lewis, a descendant of Jabez 
Lewis hereinbefore mentioned. 

Nearly opposite the place last 
named there stood many years ago 
au old-time dwelling known as the 
"Aunt Brown house." Aunt Brown 
was the mother of Blind Frank, 
a character known for miles 
around. 

At the annual sheep washings 
and sheep shearings on Nantucket 
in the first half of the last cen- 
tury. Blind PYank filled the 
position of chief "fiddler" for the 
dancing in the evenings. In those 
days, as many as seven thousand 
sheep were pastured on Nantucket 
and the annual sheep shearing 
was an occurence of great inter- 
est. 

Close by, Benjamin Blachford, 
who married Lydia Seymour, built 
a small house of more modern 
style. His children were Henry, 
John, Benjamin, Reuben, Frederic, 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



13 



Lydia and Elizabeth. 

The late Henry Blachford of the 
Yarmouth board of selectmen, was 
the last survivor of this large 
family. 

Still farther west on the north 
side of the county road, was the 
low double house of Captain El- 
nathan Lewis, who used to have 
charge of the West Yarmouth 
postoffice when the stage brought 
the mail from Plymouth, not very 
regularly, some seventy-five or 
eighty years ago. The original 
dwelling was taken down some 
sixty-five years ago and a more 
modern structure built by Captain 
Lewis, who occupied it during the 
remainder of his life. This house 
came into possession of Captain 
Elkanah Crowell, 3d, and was 
moved in 1894 to Railroad avenue, 
Hyannis, where it is now occupied 
by him. 

Captain Lewis owned a large 
tract of land extending from the 
county road to Lewis bay, a dis- 
tance of more than half a mile, 
together with salt works near the 
shore. A road to the saltworks 
was laid out just west of the 
house. His children were Chris- 
topher, Thankful, Betsey, Phebe, 
Joseph and Edward. Captain 
Christopher Lewis married Susan 
Sears and established his home 
about seventy years ago directly 
opposite his father's. Christopher's 
children were Elnathan, Susan and 
Adelbert. The dwelling is now 
occupied by Mr E. B. Matthews, 
who married the daughter. 

A little distance west from Cap- 
tain Elnathan Lewis's old house, 
Captain Edward Lewis built a more 
up to date residence on the same 
side of the highway. He mar- 



ried Lucretia, daughter of Cap- 
tain Ezekiel Crowell. Their chil- 
dren were Mary, Martha, Lavinia 
and Joseph. The last named, now 
living in Boston, is the sole sur- 
vivor of that family. A fire in 
the woods, some fifteen years ago, 
kindled by sparks from a locomo- 
tive on the railroad caused the 
complete destruction of this fine 
residence. 

Nearly opposite the Edward 
Lewis home, there stood for many 
years one of the old district 
schoolhouses which were super- 
seded by the three larger struc- 
tures now in use, and this one was 
moved about a half mile farther 
west to the woods back of the 
Downs cottage. 

On its former site, Captain Jo- 
seph Bourne, who married Sarah, 
the daughter of Sylvanus Crowell, 
built a house. One son, Joseph, 
now resides in Boston, and the 
cottage is occupied by the superin- 
tendent of the Barnstable Water 
Co. When the late C. B. Corey 
bought Great Island, he purchased 
a right of way across the old 
fields in this vicinity, of Elna- 
than and John Lewis, the same 
extending to South Sea avenue, as 
it now lies open to travel. 

A few rods farther west, and on 
the same side of the county road, 
the Congregational church built a 
parsonage not far from sixty years 
ago, which was afterward sold to 
Captain Arthur P. Blachford and 
occupied by his father, Captain 
Henry Blachford. Captain Blach- 
ford's first wife was Mary, daugh- 
ter of the late Rev. Enoch E. 
Chase, Two children were the 
result of this marriage, both of 
whom died in their youth. The 



14 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



captain married for his second 
wife Huldah Robbins. They also 
had two children. None of the 
members of this family are now 
living. 

On the north side of the high- 
way was the low, double house of 
John Lewis, which was probably 
owned by his ancestors before 
him, for it had the appearance of 
being very old. Many different 
tenants have resided in it during 
the last fifty to sixty years. 
John's wife was Ruth, daugh- 
ter of Joyce Taylor, and their 
children were Simeon, Isaiah, 
Alice and Dora. The dwelling is 
now occupied by Anthony Mont- 
calm. 

Still farther west, Captain 
Arunah Whelden built a house 
some sixty years ago. He mar- 
ried Serena, daughter of Daniel 
Hallet. Of their two children, 
James and Carrie, the latter is 
still living. The dwelling was 
burned down about ten years ago. 

Upon the same side of the high- 
way, a little farther on. Captain 
Zimri Whelden, an older brother, 
established a fine residence. His 
first wife, who died young, was 
Mary, daughter of Captain Win- 
throp Sears, Senr. His second 
wife was Betsey, daughter of Cap- 
tain Charles Baker, who lived a 
short distance east of Parkers 
river bridge. They had one son. 
Captain Charles Whelden, who 
married Hattie May, daughter of 
the late Captain Elbridge Growell 
of South Yarmouth. Connected 
with this couple, who are now 
living, there are many memories 
which are exceedingly pleasant to 
the writer. 

The dwelling last named was 



later owned and occupied by the 
late Captain Ephraim Crowell, and 
now by his son Julius, a former 
postmaster in that locality, 

A short distance west from the 
home of Julius Crowell we see a 
small house, which, some seven- 
ty-five years ago, was the resi- 
dence of Captain Hiram Crowell, 
born Jan. 12, 1804, who married 
Betsey, daughter of Captain El- 
nathan Lewis, in January, 1828. 
Christopher, a son of the above, 
died at sea some years ago. 
The house has of late been occu- 
pied by Mr Thacher. 

Next, on the south side of the 
road, stands the small structure 
used for some ten or twelve years 
past for postoffice purposes and 
kept by Captain Richard Sears, 
the present postmaster. 

Next comes a dwelling erected 
about sixty-five years since by 
Captain Benjamin Crowell, in 
which Postmaster Sears and wife, 
a daughter of the captain, now 
reside. 

Still farther on, Captain Erastus 
Chase built a house of the same 
type as the one last mentioned. 
He married Betsey, daughter of 
Captain Higgins Crowell, Senr. Of 
the children, Alonzo, Erastus and 
Susan, the second son, a sea cap- 
tain, died some years ago. 

On the north side of the 
road, about opposite the Benja- 
min Crowell house, stands the 
home formerly of David Downs, 
Senr., now occupied by a son bear- 
ing the same, name. 

Back of the last named place, 
the old district schoolhouse stood 
for a time in the woods, as stated 
in a previous article. It was 
transformed into a hall and was 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



15 



subsequently destroyed by fire. 

Close by, on the same side of 
the highway, was the old house 
of Sylvanus Growell, who was born 
July 11, 1786, married Susan Baker 
in 1809 and died April 17, 1856. 
He was a lineal descendant of 
John Crowe of Bass Ponds in the 
eighth generation. His children 
were Freeman H., Lot, Sylvanus, 
Betsey, Susan, Sarah, Christina 
and Orlando. This old house was 
torn down about forty-five years 
ago and to its site, Freeman H., 
the oldest son, who married Olive, 
the daughter of Captain John Hal- 
let of Great Island, moved the 
Captain Hallet house as mentioned 
in the fourth chapter of this 
series. The premises finally 
passed to the ownership of the 
late F. A. Abell of Pawtucket. By 
him, the dwelling was enlarged 
and the grounds extended and 
greatly improved and beautified. 
Both Mr and Mrs Abell have re- 
cently died and this fine estate is 
now held by their heirs. 

Next to the Abell estate, on the 
corner at the junction of the 
county road and an old road lead- 
ing to the "North side," stands a 
small house which has changed 
owners several times and is now 
occupied by the heirs of the late 
Dustin Baker. 

On the diagonal corner, next to 
Berry avenue, so called, Captain 
Higgins Crowell, Jr., established 
his residence. He was a descend- 
ant of John Crowe of Bass Ponds 
in the 8th generation, was born in 
1809, and married Abigail, daugh- 
ter of Captain Winthrop Sears, 
Senior, in 1835, whose children 
were Odlin, Susan, Abbie, Win- 
throp and Mary. The dwelling 



was destroyed by fire several 
years ago and a new house erected 
on its site by Mr Chester Stacy. 

Across the highway and a short 
distance west. Captain Kelley H. 
Crowell, who also was descended 
from John of Bass Ponds in the 
eighth generation, built a resi- 
dence similar to that of Captain 
Higgins Crowell. His wife was 
Mary Lee, daughter of Anthony 
Chase. Their children were Howes 
and Ella. The last named mar- 
ried Dr W. J. Nickerson, former- 
ly of South Yarmouth. None of 
this family are now living. The 
dwelling is now owned and occu- 
pied by Miss Flora Baker. 

Next, on the same side of the 
road, is the low, double house of 
Thomas^ Crowell— Abner% Thom- 
as^ Thomas% Yelverton\ Thomas 
was born in 1766 and married 
Mary, daughter of Gorham Growell, 
in 1789. Mary survived her hus- 
band, dying in 1853 at the age of 
81 years. The residence was 
known for many years as "the 
Molly Thomas house" to dis- 
tinguish it from "the Molly 
Growell house" down "the Lane," 
now South Sea avenue. The chil- 
dren of Thomas and Mary were 
Washington and Mary Ann. The 
last named married Jabez Perry 
and the old home is occupied 
during the summer season by 
their heirs. 

Across the county road, nearly 
opposite the old "Molly Thomas 
house, stands a dwelling formerly 
occupied by Leander Crowell and 
subsequently by the late Captain 
Washburn Baker, who married 
Cordelia, daughter of Anthony 
Chase, in 1834. Their children, 
none of whom are now living. 



16 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



were Albert, Delia, Howard and 
Edward. The house is now 
owned and occupied by Prescott 
H, Baker, son of the late Isaiah 
F. Baker, and in the sixth genera- 
tion from Silas Baker, Senior, who 
was born not far from the year 
1700. 

Still farther west on the same 
side of the highway, and on the 
hill a short distance from it, is 
the two story schoolhouse erected 
in, or about, the year 1854. On 
account of the small number of 
attending pupils, one of the lower 
rooms has been used for library 
purposes. 

There is considerable contrast 
between the methods of instruc- 
tion now prevailing and those in 
1693 when it was voted to divide 
the town into "five squadrons," of 
which "South Sea" was to be 
known as No. 5, the boundaries to 
be as follows: "Beginning at 
Thomas Bills', all the west side of 
Bass River and South Sea, and to 
Thomas Batter's." A committee 
was appointed "to agree with some 
fit person to teach school" and 
South Sea's share of his labors 
was to extend "from July 15, to 
last of August" annually. 

"In 1712, Mr. Jaquesh, school 
master, was allowed £24 salary, and 
5 shillings per week additional for 
board." He was to teach children 
to read, write and cypher and to 
give them some knowledge of 
grammar and Latin. 

Close by the schoolhouse stands 
the meetinghouse, which was 
moved from its former site a 
half-mile farther east, about eight 
years ago. 

Across the road is the low 
double house of the late .Tames 



Crowell or "Squire James" as he 
was popularly known. The squire 
was born in 1767, was of the fifth 
generation from Yelverton, the 
pioneer, in the line of Thomas, 
son of the latter. He married, 
first, Ruth Howes, by whom he 
had two children: Marten, who 
died at sea at the age of twenty- 
one years, and Ruth H., born in 
1798, who married Silas Baker of 
South Yarmouth, and was well 
known locally for many years as 
a preacher in the Society of 
Friends or Quakers. For his 
second wife. Squire James mar- 
ried Deborah Robbins, generally 
known in that community as 
"Aunt Deborah." To her were 
born the following named chil- 
dren: Harrison, Russell, Lucy 
Ann, James, Rufus, Winslow, Al- 
ger, Olive A., Edwin, Randall, 
Mary H., and one other who ap- 
pears to have died young. None 
of this large family are now liv- 
ing, and the dwelling is now 
owned by a family from Paw- 
tucket. 

About sixty-five years ago Cap- 
tain Benjamin Adams Crowell of 
the eighth generation from John 
Crowe of Bass Ponds (vicinity of 
Follens pond) purchased the build- 
ing which previously had been 
the store of Deacon Anthony 
Chase, moved it to a site a little 
west from the Congregational 
meetinghouse, and converted it 
into a dwelling. The captain was . 
born in 1813 and married Cyrene 
Crowell in 1838. Their children 
were Philena, Herbert and Good- 
rich. The house is now occupied 
by the widow of Herbert, above 
named, who after his decease mar- 
ried Lewis Taylor. 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



17 



Next to the residence of Mr. and 
Mrs. Lewis Taylor, Captain John 
Orlando, a native of Sweden, 
erected his dwelling. Captain Or- 
lando married Betsey, widow of 
Solomon Howes of Dennis and 
daughter of George and Olive 
Crowell. Captain Orlando was an 
able mariner and became master 
of a fine large schooner, which 
was wrecked on a voyage from 
Boston to South America. The 
captain was four days on the 
wreck, and by exposure became 
paralyzed to such an extent that 
he was unable to walk. His in- 
genuity came to his assistance, 
and he constructed a vehicle pro- 
pelled by hand power, which en- 
abled him to go about the village 
quite freely. He also built a large 
boat, so arranged as to have ev- 
ery rope within easy reach as he 
sat in the stern. He could make 
sail, weigh anchor, reef sails, and 
come to anchor without moving 
from his -seat; and he even went 
to Marthas Vineyard summers and 
took parties out for a sail upon 
the "briny deep." Since his 
decease his residence has been 
sold and is at present occupied by 
strangers. 

About opposite the former home 
of Captain Orlando stands a low 
single house which was once the 
residence of Ebenezer Crowell, 
commonly known as "Ebenezer 
Daniel" to distinguish him from 
Captain Ebenezer who lived on 
South Sea avenue. He was the 
brother of Squire James, was 
born in 1784 and married Dorcas 
Lewis. Their children were Ben- 
jamin, Ann and Ephraim. The 
former occupants have all passed 
away and the old home is owned 



and occupied by strangers. 

A little beyond, on the same 
side of the highway, Osborn, son 
of Captain Lysander Chase, erected 
a structure to be used for store 
purposes below and for a dwelling 
on the second floor. This prop- 
erty was later sold to the late 
Isaiah Crowell, son of Captain 
Elkanah, 2d, who carried on the 
grocery business there for some 
twenty years or thereabout, and 
about fifteen years ago was 
bought by the late Winchester 
Johnson. 

The dwelling next to the store, 
in which Captain Daniel Taylor 
now lives, was once the home of 
Amos Crowell, a descendant in the 
seventh generation of John Crowe 
of Bass Ponds. He married 
Rhoda, daughter of Judah Crowell 
of Bass Ponds ancestry, in 1817. 
Their daughter Ruth became the 
wife of Lysander Chase, Senior, 
and the last named and their chil- 
dren, Amanda, Osborn, Ruth and 
Lysander, occupied the premises 
for a number of years. 

Just opposite the last men- 
tioned place is the house of Cap- 
tain Reuben Blachford, built some 
twenty-five years ago. 

It is the old Captain Ebenezer 
Crowell house moved from South 
Sea avenue, as stated in No. 4 in 
this series, and rejuvenated. It is 
now owned and occupied, the 
writer is informed, by Mrs. Addie 
F. Crowell, one of his contempo- 
raries in the early school days 
in the new schoolhouse in South 
Yarmouth. He recalls the time 
when the upper room was so 
crowded that several of the boys 
were obliged to sit on the girls' 
side, himself being one of the 



18 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



number; and now after some 
sixty years have passed, he still 
lives to testify to the uniformly 
good nature and genial disposition 
of his nearest neighbor and to ex- 
press the wish that years of 
happiness and comfort yet await 
her. Her husband was the late 
Orris B. Crowell, son of Captain 
Elkanah, 2d, formerly of South 
Sea avenue. 

On the north side of the road 
and a little to the west is the fine 
two story house built by Captain 
Heman B. Chase, a grandson of 
Anthony, Senior. By his first 
wife, Emily F. Hinckley of Barn- 
stable, he had one son, Heman B., 
and by his second, Clarence, Ed- 
ward, Emily and Walter, The 
fine homestead later became the 
property of Isaiah, a brother of 
Orris B. Crowell named above. He 
married Mercy B., daughter of 
Captain Zadock Crowell of South 
Sea avenue, their children being 
Joshua F., Thomas and Isaiah. 

Beyond, on the same side of the 
highway, still stands the low 
double house of Captain Heman 
Chase, who, with his family, oc- 
cupied it for many years. His 
children were Lysander. Joshua, 
Heman B., Mary, Abbie, Davis, 
Andrew and Louise. Later, the 
house was owned by David Mer- 
chant and now by his heirs. 

Opposite is the former home of 
Luke Chase, son of Deacon An- 
thony. The building was moved 
from Hyannis some seventy years 
ago. Since the decease of Mr 
Chase in 1855 the place has beon 
owned by several parties, is still 
in good condition and occupied by 
strangers. 



Crossing a narrow road that 
extends southerly to Lewis bay, 
we come to a house that is "an 
old timer," indeed. With its low 
underpinning and its curb roof it 
is calculated to attract more than 
a passing notice from the strang- 
er who travels that way. The 
building has within a few years 
been considerably enlarged but 
the shape of the original struc- 
ture can still be traced. The 
writer remembers very distinctly 
taking a long walk in that vicin- 
ity in 1878, and of meeting Rev. 
Enoch E. Chase, who then lived in 
the old house referred to above. 
He said that his father, Deacon 
Anthony, moved to that home in 
1799 and that he himself was born 
there in 1804 and had resided 
there ever since. In reply to an 
inquiry concerning Indians who 
had lived thereabout tv/o centuries 
or more previously, the rev. gen- 
tleman pointed out the old Indian 
burial place which the town had 
ieserved in the early days, and 
which is located on a peninsula of 
upland extending into the low 
ground on the east side of Chase's 
brook, so called, on the northerly 
side of the county road. The 
peninsula, which is about ten rods 
in width, was partly covered with 
a small growth of wood, mostly 
pine, with a clump of oaks on the 
easterly part. Mr Chase said that 
the burial place had been en- 
croached upon by cultivation of 
the adjoining field. At a town 
meeting, possibly thirty-five years 
ago, at which it was proposed to 
place stone bounds upon each one 
of the town's reservations, this 
old burial place being one. Mr. 
Chnse said that his father and 



SEVENTY-FrV^E YEARS AGO. 



19 



himself had occupied the premises 
for many years; but if the town 
had any Indians to be buried, they 
could be brought along and he 
should not object to their burial 
near the graves of their fathers. 
The children of Deacon Anthony 
Chase by his second wife, Mary 
Eldridge, were Enoch E. and a 
son who was lost at sea. The 
children of Rev. Enoch E. Chase 
were Mary, George, Rebecca and 
Alexander. 

Opposite this ancient structure 
stands a small house owned for- 
merly by Anthony Chase, Jr., 
whose children were Albert, Eras- 
tus, Cordelia, Leonard, Mary, An- 
thony and Benjamin. 

Crossing the brook already men- 
tioned, which unites with the 
Baxter's mill stream before reach- 
ing Lewis bay, we come to the 
small dwelling formerly the resi- 
dence of Captain William Howes, 
a successful skipper in the mack- 
erel fishery. This home has 
changed owners several times and 
is now owned and occupied by Mr. 
Lysander Chase. 

On the opposite side of the 
highway Captain Leonard Chase, a 
son of Deacon Anthony by his 
first wife, Keziah Baker, built a 
house which was owned and occu- 
pied by himself and family. Later 
this dwelling came into the poses- 
sion of Captain Gorham Crowell 
of the sixth generation from Yel- 
verton the pioneer. 

Some forty years ago an attempt 
was made to establish a trout 
hatchery in the brook close by. 
The pools were carefully laid out 
and kept in excellent condition 
for some years by Mr. Eben Per- 
ry, a son of Jahez Perry; but 



were finally abandoned as the 
venture proved unsuccessful. 
Without any special information 
as to the cause of failure, one 
might easily conceive it to be a 
lack of pure, cold spring water, 
which seems to be the natural 
habitat for brook trout. Mr. Per- 
ry was certainly entitled to much 
credit for the time, energy and 
funds which he expended upon 
this experiment. 

A short distance west of the 
William Howes residence lived, 
some sixty years ago, Mr. Asa 
Crocker with his large family. 
He was a shoe cobbler and worked 
for Mr. Daniel Crowell in Hyan- 
nis. 

About a quarter of a mile still 
farther west, on the south side of 
the highway, on Eleazer's hill, so 
called, stands the old-time home 
of Eleazer, a brother of Captain 
Timothy Baker, Senr., and in the 
fifth generation from Francis, 
a pioneer. Eleazer, or '"Uncle 
Eleazer" as he was called, was 
miller in the "Baxter's mill" near 
by, some seventy-five years ago, 
and for many years after the 
"Little mill" in West Yarmouth 
ceased its labors. The dwelling 
has had many different tenants 
during the long period of its ex- 
istence. 

Away back "in the forties," on 
the left hand side of the highway, 
stood the residence of Captain 
Alexander Baxter, quite an ex- 
tensive owner in shipping, who 
married Sophronia, a half-sister 
of the Rev. E. E. Chase. Some 
years later this building was 
moved farther west to the corner 
next to a road leading to Lewis 
bay, and a large double house 



20 



WEST YARMOUTH HOUSES 



was erected on the old site. Here 
the captain and his good wife re- 
sided for many years, and after 
their decease the property came 
into the possession of Captain 
John A. Baxter, a brother of Cap- 
tain Alexander, who occupied the 
premises for some years. In 1876 
this fine residence was destroyed 
by fire. Captain Crowell, in writ- 
ing of this event, says: "It was 
a beautifully clear night. The 
moon casting its golden rays over 
the old mill pond upon the high 
land in the background, formed a 
picture which it would be difficult 
for an artist to equal in the 
beauty and grandeur of its scenic 
effect. But, mingled with the 
beauty of the scene was the sad- 
ness of such an ending of so 
beautiful a place." 

The old gristmill directly oppo- 
site the Captain Baxter residence 
was known as Baxter's mill. It 
was at one time owned by Captain 
Timothy Baker, Senr., (born in 
the first half of the eighteenth 
century) and later by his son, 
Captain Joshua Baker, born in 
1766. The mill pond was fed by 
several streamlets which came 
down from the north; but, its work 
having been completed, the dam 
has been allowed to wash away; 
and, there being some question as 
to ownership, we learn that this 
once beautiful and interesting spot 
is now grown up with rushes. It 
seems as if the water power here 
might, in this day of improved 
machinery, be made again to serve 
a useful pui'poso. 

Returning now to the "Four Cor- 
ners" at the head of South Sea 
aveinie, we take the North lane, 
so called, and proceed northerly. 



This roadway was doubtless, in the 
early days of the settlement, an 
Indian trail, which, with its 
branches, led to Bass river and 
the Indian settlements lying north- 
erly and easterly. 

Near the Corners, on the left 
hand side, stood the home of Jer- 
emiah Gorham, generally known as 
Jeremy, a brother of John, here- 
tofore mentioned. 

On the same side of the way, a 
little farther north, was the resi- 
dence of James Whelden, whose 
sons, Zimri and Arunah, became 
prominent masters both of sailing 
ships and steamers. Several other 
members of the same family be- 
came officers of steam vessels. 

Nearly opposite was the home of 
Thomas Sherman, who married 
Rebecca Burgess, a daughter of 
Isaiah Burgess. Th^ir children 
were Stephen, Mary, Thomas and 
Lydia. The father of Thomas, 
Senr., was Ichabod Sherman, a 
blacksmith, who came to Indian 
town (South Yarmouth) from New 
Bedford not far from the year 
1790 in company with Captain 
Benjamin Tripp and Abiel Akin, 
father of the late David K. Akin. 
He died in 18ii. Isaiah Burgess 
and his wife Nancy were near 
neighbors of Thomas Sherman, 
Senr. 

A little to the north, and on the 
west side of the lane, we come to 
the site of the old house of Hig- 
gins Crowell, Senr., whose children 
were Higgins, Ruth, Betsey and 
Benjamin. His second wife was 
J^atience Coleman. 

On the east side of the road 
wliifh led from North lane directly 
to the "little mill," more than 
eighty years ago lived Mr. Joyce 



SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. 



21 



Taylor, father of a large family. 
Several of the sons were noted 
skippers of mackerel catchers fifty 
to sixty years ago. Joyce, Free- 
man, Henry and Dustin, who be- 
came captains, were worthy of 
their ancestry. The little mill 
ceased its labors more than thirty 
years ago. 

North lane proper extends across 
the mill stream just north of the 
site of the little mill and was, in 
the early days, bordered by home- 
steads as far as Long pond; for 
this was the main highway until 
Parkers river bridge was built. 
Now, we believe, not a single 
building remains on this once 
frequented way. 

The fact that the site of the 
John Crow house is several rods 
west of South Sea avenue has led 
some people to suppose that the 
highway has been relocated. To 
the writer of this article, the 
evidence points to the contrary. 
In the earliest days of settlement, 
when the danger of attacks by In- 
dians was great, the pioneer who 
wished to establish a home at a 
distance from his neighbors, so 
placed his dwelling within his 
clearing as to have an open space 
on all sides, in order that he 
might more easily detect the pres- 
ence of an enemy and also to 
diminish the danger from forest 
fires. 

When Yelverton came to this 
locality in 1639 or -40 his nearest 



neighbors were probably located 
some four miles or more distant. 
About ten years later his nearest 
neighbor on the east was Richard 
Berry, who established a home 
near the mouth of Bass river. At 
the time of his decease, in 1683, 
his son John was forty-one years 
old, and he had but two grand- 
children living in Yarmouth, the 
elder being less than two years of 
age. 

It is quite reasonable to suppose 
that the spot known by reliable 
tradition as the site of John's 
residence, marks also the location 
of the home of his father, Yelver- 
ton. One other season for locat- 
ing the residence at a distance 
from the well marked trail might 
have been that water was more 
easily to be obtained from a 
spring or shallow well on the 
ground near at hand. 



In closing this series, the writer 
would earnestly invite any infor- 
mation respecting the Baxter's 
mill and the little mill; the dates 
of their establishment and of their 
falling into disuse; together with 
any other facts relating to the 
history of the section in which 
they are located; and especially 
does he invite correction of any 
errors which may have appeared, 
and a criticism of any portion of 
the series; for in this way is 
gained a more definite knowledge 
of historic facts. 



tD 



18 1 



